Winners of Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, Announced April 10th at the Journalism School

By Kim Brockway and Abigail Beshkin

The 84th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, awarded on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, were announced April 10th by President George Rupp of Columbia University.

The winners in each category, along with the names of the finalists in the competition, follow:

For a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper through the use of its journalistic resources which, as well as reporting, may include editorials, cartoons, photographs and an on-line presentation, a gold medal.

Awarded to The Washington Post, notably for the work of Katherine Boo, that disclosed wretched neglect and abuse in the city's group homes for the mentally retarded, which forced officials to acknowledge the conditions and begin reforms.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Chicago Tribune for its extensive investigation of the failures of the legal justice system, documenting misconduct by prosecutors and inequities in death penalty cases, which led the governor of Illinois to suspend state executions, and the Philadelphia Inquirer for an investigative series, including an innovative presentation on its Web site, by Mark Fazlollah, Craig R. McCoy, Michael Matza and Clea Benson, that revealed how Philadelphia police had routinely minimized and did not investigate many sexual assault claims, leading to reform of the system.

Breaking News Reporting

For a distinguished example of local reporting of breaking news, five thousand ($5,000) dollars

Awarded to the Denver Post Staff for its clear and balanced coverage of the student massacre at Columbine High School.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: The Staff of The Oregonian, Portland, for its comprehensive coverage of an environmental disaster created when a cargo ship carrying heavy fuels ran aground and broke apart, and how fumbling efforts of official agencies failed to contain the far-reaching damage, and the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer Staff for its comprehensive coverage of the destruction in the state caused by Hurricane Floyd.

Investigative Reporting

For a distinguished example of investigative reporting by an individual or team, presented as a single article or series, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to Sang-Hun Choe, Charles J. Hanley and Martha Mendoza of the Associated Press for revealing, with extensive documentation, the decades-old secret of how American soldiers early in the Korean War killed hundreds of Korean civilians in a massacre at the No Gun Ri Bridge.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Kurt Eichenwald and Gina Kolata of The New York Times for reporting that disclosed how pharmaceutical companies secretly paid doctors to test drugs on patients, and Sam Roe of The Blade, Toledo, Ohio, for a series of articles that cited a 50-year pattern of misconduct by the American government and the beryllium industry in the production of metal used in nuclear bombs, which resulted in death and injury to dozens of workers, leading to government investigations and safety reforms.

Explanatory Reporting

For a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to Eric Newhouse of the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune for his vivid examination of alcohol abuse and the problems it creates in the community.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Brent Walth and Alex Pulaski of The Oregonian, Portland, for their series on how politics influences pesticide regulation, and Michael Winerip of The New York Times for his profile of a mentally ill man who pushed a woman to her death before an onrushing subway train, a case used by the writer for a broad overview of deficiencies in the mental health care system.

Beat Reporting

For a distinguished example of beat reporting, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to George Dohrmann of the St. Paul Pioneer Press for his determined reporting, despite negative reader reaction, that revealed academic fraud in the men's basketball program at the University of Minnesota.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: David Cay Johnston of The New York Times for his lucid coverage of problems resulting from the reorganization of the Internal Revenue Service, and Robert O'Harrow Jr. of The Washington Post for his innovative stories on threats to personal privacy in the digital age.

National Reporting

For a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to The Wall Street Journal Staff for its revealing stories that question U.S. defense spending and military deployment in the post-Cold War era and offer alternatives for the future.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Anne Hull of the St. Petersburg Times for her quietly powerful stories of Mexican women who come to work in North Carolina crab shacks, in pursuit of a better life, and David Jackson and Cornelia Grumman of the Chicago Tribune for their series on the growing lucrative privatization of jails and foster programs for troubled youths.

International Reporting

For a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to Mark Schoofs of The Village Voice, a New York City weekly, for his provocative and enlightening series on the AIDS crisis in Africa.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Associated Press Staff for its skillful and courageous coverage of the Russian attack on Chechnya, and The Washington Post Staff for its compelling, in-depth coverage of the war in Kosovo.

Feature Writing

For a distinguished example of feature writing giving prime consideration to high literary quality and originality, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to J. R. Moehringer of the Los Angeles Times for his portrait of Gee's Bend, an isolated river community in Alabama where many descendants of slaves live, and how a proposed ferry to the mainland might change it.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: David Finkel of The Washington Post for his moving account of a woman forced to choose between staying with her family in a Macedonian refugee camp, or leaving to marry a man in France, and Anne Hull of the St. Petersburg Times for her quietly powerful stories of Mexican women who come to work in North Carolina crab shacks, in pursuit of a better life.

Commentary

For distinguished commentary, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to Paul A. Gigot of The Wall Street Journal for his informative and insightful columns on politics and government.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Michael Kelly of The Washington Post Writers Group for his enlightening and entertaining observations on cultural and political issues, and Colbert I. King of The Washington Post for his caring, persuasive columns addressing social and urban problems.

Criticism

For distinguished criticism, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to Henry Allen of The Washington Post for his fresh and authoritative writing on photography.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Michael Kimmelman of The New York Times for his gracefully-written observations on art and artists, and Andrew Sarris of The New York Observer, a New York City weekly, for his informed and enlightening film criticism.

Editorial Writing

For distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to John C. Bersia of The Orlando Sentinel for his passionate editorial campaign attacking predatory lending practices in the state, which prompted changes in local lending regulations.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Fred Hiatt of The Washington Post for his authoritative editorials on the crisis in Kosovo, and Philip Kennicott of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for his carefully reasoned editorial campaign against the passage of a proposition to legally allow Missouri residents to carry concealed weapons.

Editorial Cartooning

For a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing and pictorial effect, Five thousand dollars ($5,000). Awarded to Joel Pett of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Robert Ariail of The State, Columbia, S.C., and Clay Bennett of The Christian Science Monitor.

Breaking News Photography

For a distinguished example of breaking news photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to the Denver Rocky Mountain News Photo Staff for its powerful collection of emotional images taken after the student shootings at Columbine High School.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Lacy Atkins of the San Francisco Examiner for her exuberant portrait of U.S. athlete Brandi Chastain after she scored the winning goal of the Women's World Cup Soccer Final, and The Seattle Times Photo Staff for its photos of the rioting that disrupted the annual conference of the World Trade Organization.

Feature Photography

For a distinguished example of feature photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Awarded to Carol Guzy, Michael Williamson and Lucian Perkins of The Washington Post for their intimate and poignant images depicting the plight of the Kosovo refugees.

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Nuri Vallbona and Candace Barbot of The Miami Herald for their photographs of Liberty City, a neighborhood crippled by drugs and violence, which detail the community's effort to reclaim the area, and Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette Photo Staff for its moving photographs of the grief and devastation that followed a local fire that killed six firefighters.